9638570a   
   From: MyNameForward@ReplaceWithMyVices.Com.invalid   
      
   In article ,   
    Ray Otwell  wrote:   
      
      
   > I've seen the breadboarding via islands before, but I really hadn't   
   > thought much about dremeling a board for SMT, but that looks like it   
   > actually works quite well.   
   >   
   > Due to handling issues I'm really starting to think in terms of 1206,   
   > at least until I gain some experience with tweezers and small objects.   
   > I would like to move to 0805 because I like the extra compactness.   
      
   You may also find it easier to find parts in 0805, depending on the part.   
      
   > One other thing I've recently discovered by working on some smaller   
   > items is that I need a raised work area, and that goes double if I'm   
   > going to do surface mount work of any sort.  With strong glasses my   
   > focal length is just too short otherwise.   
      
   There are other methods, as I mentioned in my first reply (right about   
   as you were writing this, I'd guess, so you wouldn't have seen them) -   
   the camera-scope and screen is probably the most affordable of them,   
   unless you find a handy source for cheap used microscopes and find a   
   suitable one among those, or happen to have one. Trick being you need a   
   scope that gives you room to work - dissection scopes are often as   
   suitable (optically) as those sold as "assembly scopes."   
      
   Yes, cutting islands in copperclad is a very handy 1-off at-home   
   technique with SMT. For some applications (not all, particularly high   
   frequency ones) generic adapter boards to get back to DIP pin spacing   
   are also handy/useful.   
      
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